Sunday links: Stone on the schedule, five questions about the Hawks, and more

We’ll start today with Seattle Times columnist Larry Stone writing about what has been one of the leading topics in these parts the last few days — the Seahawks’ schedule.

Stone, though, says he thinks it is much ado about little.

“My feeling is that this is much ado about little. It’s not as if the league is taking home games away from Seattle. They’ll still get eight of ‘em, just like always. It’s just that, for now, seven will be played in the afternoon – which, when you get down to it, is much more convenient for all involved. Rest assured that the television audience for attractive Seahawks games at the Clink will still be vast, even outside of prime time. Unless a blowout develops, of course.

I say, for now, because by virtue of the league’s new “flex scheduling” policy, games can be switched into Sunday Night Football as early as Week 5, as opposed to Week 11 in previous years. That means Seahawks home dates against the Cowboys (Oct. 6), Raiders (Nov. 2) and Giants (Nov. 9), as well as three after that, could become prime-time home games, making this discussion moot.

Besides, the Seahawks have more to worry about than the number of prime-time home games. They were saddled with an unusually early bye (Week 4), leaving them with a finishing stretch of 13 straight weeks without a break. They open with three straight games against 2013 playoff teams, and close with five division games over the final six weeks. Throw in the quality of opponents – sixth toughest, according to last year’s records – and it’s a potentially brutal slate.”